Plans for 120 homes in hamlet of Woodthorpe debated

The hamlet of Woodthorpe pre-dates the Domesday Book

Councillors are due to discuss plans for a housing development that would see a Leicestershire hamlet increase by more than six times its size.

Charnwood Borough Council will discuss the proposals for 120 houses off Main Street in Woodthorpe on Thursday.

Concerns have been raised by residents about the impact on local services.

A formal decision on outline permission will be made by the Planning Inspectorate but council officers have recommended the proposals are approved.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the applicant, Andrew Bamber, took his case to the Planning Inspectorate because the local authority failed to meet the deadline for a decision at the end of January.

Now the council can only say whether it would have approved the application and this will form part of its "statement of case" which will be considered by the inspectorate when making the formal decision over the appeal.

A total of 40 letters of objection were submitted to the council over the application and concerns were also raised by neighbouring Quorn Parish Council.

'No demonstrable harm to Quorn'

Issues raised include "loss of privacy and the local character of Woodthorpe Hamlet", added strain on local schools, the GP surgery and the single track road through the hamlet which would be the point of access to the development.

The proposed site for the homes has also been criticised as the field is used by residents for exercise and to walk their dogs.

Quorn Parish Council also said the new housing "would result in the loss of the separate identities of Loughborough and Quorn".

However, planning officers have said there would be "no demonstrable harm to Quorn" as there would still be 500m (1,640ft) between the settlements.

The Great Central Railway also raised concerns the plans would "result in loss of views from carriages" but planning officers said the proximity to Loughborough meant there would be no additional harm to the line.

Officers have recommended the council's planning committee tells the planning inspector it would have approved the plans subject to a condition no houses are built facing Main Street and the existing trees there are maintained.

Other conditions include developers making financial contributions to special needs education in the area and funds to improve local GP services.

A full planning application would need to be submitted to the council setting out the remaining details of the scheme, including the exact number of homes.

An informal hearing into the appeal is due to be held by the inspectorate but a date for this has not yet been set.